The Return of the Ishtar

In The Return of Ishtar, the Berlin-based theatre group Lovefuckers embarks on a radical time travel and designs future scenarios that try to bring to life every possible alternative. 

The world lies in a deep sleep, and only some individuals awake and shape society after their wishes. History as we know it can be rewritten, re-experienced, and transformed. The newly awakened can experiment in a space without time and limits. Quietly, without anybody noticing, SHE creeps in. SHE, the queen of the apocalypse: ISHTAR. Long before we were born, there was a goddess in the holy city of Uruk. People say SHE was the queen of the skies, the falcon of all gods and she had many different appearances. SHE could appear as a man or a woman. She united all contradictions. People gave her many names – one of them was ISHTAR. Today her meaning is forgotten but SHE still is an inspiration for new gender designs.

– Lovefuckers
 

Concept and performance: Anna Menzel, Ivana Sajević, Annemie Twardawa; director and choreographer: Corinne Eckenstein; set design, costumes and puppet design: Birgit Kellner, Christian Schlechter (Spitzwegerich); puppet design: Ivana Sajević, Annemie Twardawa; music: Manfred Engelmayr; light design: Hannes Röbisch; assistant director: Sophie Freimüller; production: Dirk Neldner, Josefine Winkler; assistant for stage/set design: Felix Huber; tailor: Brigitte Moscon; internship: David Gamel; co-production: Lovefuckers (Germany), Dschungel Wien (Austria), tjg. theater junge generation Dresden (Germany); organisation: City of Women in co-operation with Old Power Station; support: Fonds Doppelpass of The German Federal Cultural Foundation, Austrian Cultural Forum Ljubljana.